Can-body-blank-feed mechanism for can-body-making machines.



PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903.

T. J. HARBEN.

AKING MACHINES.

CAN BODY BLANK FEED MECHANISM FOR CAN BODY M APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28,1902. j 1 no menu. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAR. 24, 1903.

, T. J. HARBEN. v GANBODY BLANK FEED MECHANISM FOR CAN BODY MAKINGMACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1902. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

.am faiw' kl Y Jiibrrzeys PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS JACKSON HARBEN, OF HOOPESTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CANCOMPANY, OF NEW OF NEW JERSEY.

YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION CAN-BODY-BLANK-FEED MECHANISM FORCAN-BODY-MAKING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,383, dated March24, 1903. Application filed November 28, 1902.- Serial No. 132;!398. (N0model.)

ample, illustrated in the Edwin Norton patent, No. 395,795, of January8, 1889, and having automatic blank-feeding mechanisms for deliveringthe blanks one by one from a pile or stack such, for example, as thatshown and described in the Peter Jordan patent, No. 436,792, ofSeptember 23, 1890, or the F. M. Leavitt and John G. Hodgson patent, No.

522,261, of July 3, 1S94.--some difficulty and annoyance have sometimesbeen experienced in the operation of the machines due to the failure ofthe dogsor pawls on the horizontally-reciprocating feed-slide toproperly engage and feed forward the blank, especially if the samehappens to be bent or curved upward, so that it does not. lie flat andsmooth on the feed-table.

It is the object of my invention to provide a device to overcome thisdifi'iculty; and my invention consists in the means I employ topractically accomplish this objector result that is to say, it consists,in connection with the feed-table and horizontally-reciprocatingfeed-slide having the pawls or pushers for pushing the blank forward, ofone or more, preferably two, movable arms or devices above thefeed-table operating to press and smooth .the blank fiat thereon, so asto insure its ongagement by the pawls or pushers on thehorizontally-reciprocating feed-slide.

It further consists in providing the blank pressing or smoothing armswith secondary arms for receiving the blank as it is discharged from theself-feeder above and lowering the same onto the feed-table to betterinsure its lying in proper position thereon.

My invention also consists in the novel construction of parts anddevices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shownand described. I

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Ihave illustrated my invention as applied to a can-body-makin'g machineof the well-known Norton type-= such,for example, as that shown anddescribed in the Nortonpatent, No. 395,795, before mentioned,'andprovided with a self-feeder for the blanks of the style now well knownand in common .use and which is shown and de= scribed in the Jordanpatent, No. 436,792, and Leavitt and Hodgson patent, No. 522,261, beforereferred to,although my invention may be employed upon can-body-makingmachines of any well-known type or kind and provided with self-feedersfor the blanks of any other suitable form or kind, and as theconstruction of the can-body-making machine itself and of thecan-body-blank feeder are both well known I have in the accompanyingdrawings shown only sufficient of the parts of the can-body mechanismand feeder to illustrate the connection of my improvement thereto.

In said drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of acan-body-making machine to which my invention is applied. Fig. 2 is anend View. Fig. 3 is a detail central vertical section, and Fig. 4: is adetail plan View partly in horizontal section.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the machine.

B is the feed-table of a can-body-making machine,'and C the hornthereof.

D is a'horizontally-reciprocating feed-slide having three pairs ofcan-body-blank pushers or feed-pawls d, by which the blank X is fed orpushed forward along the feed-table B, as required in the machine'tofirst form the books or edge folds along the edge of the blank and thenbend or form it around the horn O to produce the can-body.

F is the self-feeder for the blanks, the same comprising a holder F forthe stack or pile of blanks X and a suitable feed device-such, forexample, as that shown and described in said Patent No. 436,792 or No.522,261-by which the blanks are separated and discharged from the pileone by one upon the I feed-table 13 below in position to be engaged bythe pawls or pushers d of the horizontallyreciprocating feed-slide D.

H ll are a pair of movable, preferably rocking or vibratory, arms ordevices which are mounted above the feed-table just in advance of therearmost pawls or pushers d on the feed-slide D when it is retracted andwhich operate to press or smooth the blank 03 flat upon the feed-table,so that its rear edge will be certain to be properly engaged by thefeedpawls d. These blank pres'ser or smoother arms H H are preferablyfurnished with curved or shoe-shaped lower faces 71, so that theswinging or rocking movement will cause their heel portions to properlypress down upon the rear edge of the blank. The blank pressing orsmoothing arms H are also preferably provided with supplemental lowerarms or fingers H, which are preferably made integral with the arms Hand which serve to receive the blank x as it is discharged from theholder F and deliver it upon the feedtable B, thusinsuringitsbeingdeposited upon the feed-table in proper position and also causingits rear edge to slide down under the heel of the presser or smootherarm H and into the slot 72. at the angle or junction of the arms H H.The feed pawls or pushers d are provided, or preferably provided, attheir upper ends with lips d, which overhang the rear edge of the blankand clamp it upon the feedtable, and thus prevent the rear edge of theblank, if it happens to be bent or curved out of shape, from springingupward and becoming disengaged from the pawl or pusher d. The feed-tableB is provided with longitudinal slots b b to receive the lowerblank-supporting arms 11 and H. The blank pressing or smoothing arms Hare preferably secured to a rock-shaft G, which is automaticallyoperated in proper unison with the feed-slide D and feeder F by means ofa cam G on the shaft G through the connecting-link g, lever g connectingwith arms g on the rock-shaft G. The link g is provided with africtionroller g and with a spring 9 I claim- 1. In acan-body-makingmachine, the combination with a feed-table, of a reciprocating slidefurnished with feed pawls or pushers, of a blank-feeder above thefeedtable for delivering the blanks one by one thereon, and a pair ofrocking arms having curved lower faces for pressing or smoothing theblank upon the feed-table and insuring its engagement by the pawls orpushers on the feedslide, and a pair of blank-receiving arms connectedto said blank-pressing arms and opcrating to lower the blanks upon thefeedtable as they are discharged by, the feeder, substantially asspecified.

- 2. In a can-body-making machine, the combination with a feed-table anda horizontallyreciprocating feed-slide having pawls or pushers, of amovable can-body-blank-pressing de-' vice engaging the rear edge of theblank above the feed-table for pressing or smoothing the blank on thefeed-table to insure the engagement of its rear edge by the pawls orpushers on the feed-slide, substantially as specified.

3. In a can-body-making machine, the combination with a feed-table and ahorizontally reciprocating feed-slide having pawls orpush ers, of amovable can-body-blank-pressingdevice engaging the rear edge of theblank above the feed-table for pressing or smoothing the blank-on thefeed-table to insure the engagement of its rear edge by the pawls orpush= ers on the feed-slide, said pawls or pushers on the feedslidehaving projecting lips to overlap the rear edge of the blank, substantially as specified.

4. The combination withacan-body-blankfeed table of a feed-slide havingpawls or pushers, of a vibrating device having an upper and lower armwith a slot between them for registering and receiving the rear edge ofthe blank and insuring its proper engagement by the pawls or pushers onthe feed-slide, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a can-body-blankfeed table andfeeder, of afeed-slide having pawls or pushers and a pair of vibrating deviceshaving each an upper and a lower arm with a slot between them to receiveand re ister the rear edge of the blank to insure its engagement by thepawls or pushers on the feed-slide, substantially as specified.

6K The combination with a can-body-feed table and feeder above the same,of a-horizontally-reciprocating feed-slide furnished with pawls orpushers, of a vibrating device 1 for receiving and supporting andlowering the can-body blank from the feeder onto the feedtable,substantially as specified.

7. The combination with a can-body-feed table, of ahorizontally-reciprocating feedslide having pawls or pushers,a-feeder'above the feed-table, and a pair of rocking arms for receivingthe blank as it is discharged from the feeder and delivering it upon thefeedtable, substantially as specified.

THOMAS JAOKSONHARBEN.

Witnesses:

W. M. Bnecs, LEE NELsoN.

IIO

